Three things I just don't understand about Texas real estate (homes, live in)

[tyanger]

I grew up in a house with a front facing garage where the driveway was half the front yard. At age 16 we moved to a house with a rear facing garage with an alley where the driveway was half the backyard. I bought my first house with a side facing garage, no alley, front driveway access. In my second and current house I've got the setup I mentioned previously.

I called all of these houses my home and have 2 lists of things, likes and dislikes, for each of them. For me personally, the location of the driveway was pretty low on (or absent from) either list. I just didn't think about it much. I basically got used to all of them and went on to live my life. Like I said before, it's certainly a matter of personal preference, but you'll eventually find a house with more things you like than dislike, you'll live there, and you'll either be happy with your choice or you won't - but I doubt it's going to be that darn(or awesome) garage that you'll curse(or hug and kiss) every night. (Unless maybe there is no garage or it's Jay Leno's garage?)

Just my personal opinion, no joking around this time. Of course my wife would have an entirely different spiel! (OK, maybe small jokes )

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

This is the alley behind one of my houses - I freaked when I recognized my (detached) garage:

It Took Seven Years, But Today Whole City Goes to Same OneDAY Trash Service - Dallas News - Unfair Park

Our alleys are wider than that, but this is one of the reasons Richardson cites for not using wheeled trash cans. Stacked bags leave more clearance.

[skids929]

Originally Posted by tyanger

I grew up in a house with a front facing garage where the driveway was half the front yard. At age 16 we moved to a house with a rear facing garage with an alley where the driveway was half the backyard. I bought my first house with a side facing garage, no alley, front driveway access. In my second and current house I've got the setup I mentioned previously.

I called all of these houses my home and have 2 lists of things, likes and dislikes, for each of them. For me personally, the location of the driveway was pretty low on (or absent from) either list. I just didn't think about it much. I basically got used to all of them and went on to live my life. Like I said before, it's certainly a matter of personal preference, but you'll eventually find a house with more things you like than dislike, you'll live there, and you'll either be happy with your choice or you won't - but I doubt it's going to be that darn(or awesome) garage that you'll curse(or hug and kiss) every night. (Unless maybe there is no garage or it's Jay Leno's garage?)

Just my personal opinion, no joking around this time. Of course my wife would have an entirely different spiel! (OK, maybe small jokes )

Well said..And although I have only owned one home and one condo so far, I tend to agree. There is no perfect home and sometimes the things you focus during the buying process don't end up being major issues down the road.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

Our alleys are wider than that, but this is one of the reasons Richardson cites for not using wheeled trash cans. Stacked bags leave more clearance.

Ours are wider as well. There are people in my neighborhood that have landscaped the area behind their fence. Usually just ground cover rather than grass.

As for those that think you can not get to know your neighbors w/ a rear entry garage...........you can. You just have to get involved and/or be outside. When you are out doing yardwork or with the kids playing in the front yard, walking or riding a bike in the neighborhood...... all prime opportunities to get to know your neighbors. Have block parties, attend block parties, attend HOA meetings, organize block parties or other get togethers. A lot of newer neighborhoods have things like Bunco night and such. Even though I have not lived at my previous house for 8 years now the neighbors there are like part of our family and we all still talk, get together, etc. We all had rear entry garages but we got to know each other really well. We know each others extended family as well. When the kids were much smaller we would all be sitting out front together while the kids played together and rode their bikes. They all learned to ride bikes with each other w/o training wheels. We all decorated the outside of our house for Christmas on the same day and helped each other. We would have a "block garage sale" at least once every few years. We had a BLAST together and still do. One of our neighbors at that house had lived on the street we lived on before that. When we moved they followed us. Even in that house we all knew our neighbors and had block parties, Christmas parties, etc and none of us had kids yet. So the argument that you can not get to know your neighbors w/ a rear entry garage just does not hold an ounce of water. YOU CAN!!! It is all up to how outgoing you are. As a matter of fact......... at my current house on a culdesac there is one house ONLY that has a front j-swing garage and the rest of us have rear entry thru the alley garages. The ONLY neighbors we do not know and they don't socialize w/ anyone are the ones w/ the front entry garage. The rest of us know each other and talk often.

[tyanger]

Originally Posted by momof2dfw

...
As for those that think you can not get to know your neighbors w/ a rear entry garage...........you can.

+1

Exactly. It's a place you put your car(s) at night ... that's all. A garage and driveway do not make people more/less friendly or have any power to drastically alter your life in a significant way.

[skids929]

Originally Posted by tyanger

+1

Exactly. It's a place you put your car(s) at night ... that's all. A garage and driveway do not make people more/less friendly or have any power to drastically alter your life in a significant way.

Anyway, who says knowing your neighbor is a good thing..I live next to the biggest putz in the entire state of MA..I only wish he was blocked with an 8 foot fence....But I suspect people in Texas are nicer.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by tyanger

+1

Exactly. It's a place you put your car(s) at night ... that's all. A garage and driveway do not make people more/less friendly or have any power to drastically alter your life in a significant way.

And you get to know your neighbors up and down the alley that even live on the street behind you. Because you SHARE an alley and you pass by their driveways. One of our best friends in our neighborhood lives behind us. We are always out talking in the driveways with each other. Other neighbors we all when we are going down the alley and see a good friend/neighbor out will stop and chat.

[FarNorthDallas]

Yeah, we have "street neighbors" and "alley neighbors" with rear alleys/garages.

Do you get to know your neighbors behind you when you are front entry? In my case, I chat with the people directly across the alley and then 2 houses to the left and 3 houses to the right. I have known one of those families for 45 years.

[GirlCoder]

Whenever I see a house with a garage in the front, especially a 2 car garage, I always think of it as "mooning" me.

[compSciGuy]

Originally Posted by skids929

Anyway, who says knowing your neighbor is a good thing..I live next to the biggest putz in the entire state of MA..I only wish he was blocked with an 8 foot fence....But I suspect people in Texas are nicer.

You live next to my brother? Say hi to him for me.